[scooterapd]

Hate for my first post about my wonderful new Sportswagen to be a pile of TMI, but here goes anyway...

I bought my TDI Sportswagen at the end of March. Rather soon after driving my car, I began to experience what I thought were panic attacks while driving. Now I'm certain that it is more of a motion sickness / vertigo experience. This only seems to happen on the highways.

I've tried a few different seating positions and being either completely down or up seems to help a little, but not 100%.

This has NEVER happened to me in any other vehicle I've driven. I'm 37 years old and have owned and operated a variety of vehicles over the years.

I feel like I've ruled out CO exposure as I've driven around with a household CO detector and did not pick up any readings.

I also plan to do medical follow-ups just to be sure, but wanted to see if anyone else ever had this experience with this vehicle. The fact is that this is probably the most comfortable, quiet and luxurious vehicle I've ever owned short of a Nissan Altima and in a strange way I wonder if that comfort level is contributing to this physiological response I'm getting - as well as the physical structure of the car.

 

[pearlgolf]

Do you have a high interest homeloan?

Seriously though, do you smell anything?

Are the windows or sunroof open at all and you feel pressure or vibrating in your ears? Try closing the windows when you feel the panic attack and turning the interior fan to maximum. Maybe it's just the wind blowing across the window a certain way, making a resonance and pounding your ears.

 

[scooterapd]

I haven't noticed those things, specifically.

But along those lines I still wonder if the tigher cabin is messing with my ears a bit.

Do you have a high interest homeloan?

Seriously though, do you smell anything?

Are the windows or sunroof open at all and you feel pressure or vibrating in your ears? Try closing the windows when you feel the panic attack and turning the interior fan to maximum. Maybe it's just the wind blowing across the window a certain way, making a resonance and pounding your ears.

 

[scooterapd]

Cabin Pressure

My ENT specialist says I am in good health. But he did suggest that I probably am responding to how this car is sealed. He thinks I will get used to it. The consdition has been getting better, but I still notice it.

 

[Lhonk]

If you have anyone ride with you, have them watch your hands on the steering wheel. Your car has electric power steering. I read somewhere that it corrects for crosswinds. Maybe you are slightly and constantly moving the wheel left and right and weaving on the roads a little. If you do this in a certain rhythm, maybe you are making yourself dizzy. I don't see how a well sealed car will give you vertigo.

 

[rmchambers]

air pressure

Not the same thing but on my 2003 Jetta if I have one of the rear windows open I can feel a real whomp whomp whomp kind of low frequency pressure noise that affects my ears. Changing the speed slightly or opening another window (I'm guessing to counteract the pressure buildup) seems to make it go away.

I wouldn't be at all surprised with all the double or triple door seals that something is alternating between bend and flex causing a pressure variant inside the vehicle.

Does driving with a window open stop it? if it does then it might be the pressure thing, if it doesn't then it may be a low frequency noise (below the threshold of hearing but not below what your body can feel - low frequency noises can be used as weapons to induce vomiting etc)

 

[danham]

You can forget CO - even an unregulated Diesel puts out so little of it that it is very unlikely to be a factor.

What tires do you have? I find the Contis at times produce a very low-frequency hum on certain surfaces that could cause similar symptoms.

-dan

 

[snorlax]

What about off-gassing from the leatherette?

 

[vdub6173]

Same issue after highway driving

I have a 2010 TDi sportwagen and I am having the same issue after slowing down from a long drive at highway speeds. I feel like I am having a panic attack and feel very sleepy at the same time. Like I am sinking into the seat. I usually roll down the windows and crank up A/C fan speed. It's been getting better though. Maybe I am getting used to it. Scared the crap out of me at first. I thought it was lack of sleep or something. I do not have this issue when driving my 2007 Suburban. Maybe it is the Conti sport contacts?

 

[glennmax]

Keep us all posted.

 

[willyjp]

does it have anything to do with acceleration? espcially with acceleration with certain head positions?

I disovered (at a performance driving school!) that hard accelerations/decelerations and sometimes circular skid pad maneuvers, particularly if I inclined my head a certain way, could induce vertigo!

my symptoms pretty much fit the picture of "BPPV" (benign paroxysmal positional vertigo)
which is cause by a minor disorder/displacement of the particles (otoliths) in the middle ear

my ENT consultant suggested I wait and see if it was a persistent problem (it turned out not to be), because there is treatment available that usually works

Google on BPPV for lots of info!

(a retired physician)

 

[glennmax]

Google on BPPV for lots of info!

(a retired physician)

I read the wikipedia entry for this.
Fascinating information.
Thanks.

 

[dmg]

http://www.healthystuff.org/departments/cars/product.details.php?getrecno=11547

probably just being poisoned a little.. not quite exact model and year, but closest I could find.